


Please Don't Leave Me

by RowanKayWho



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Billy Hargrove Being an Asshole, Billy Hargrove Lives, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Person, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Drug Use, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kissing, Major Character Injury, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Smoking, Spoilers, Stranger Things 2, Stranger Things 3, Swearing, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26760766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanKayWho/pseuds/RowanKayWho
Summary: After the Mind Flayer attacks Billy, you rush him to the hospital in an effort to save his life. As you wait, you relive your best memories of him with some of your close friends in hopes they'll see he's not one of the bad guys.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Reader
Kudos: 40





	Please Don't Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first ever time posting my writing to any platform, although this was written a while ago (I think early 2019?). My work is not beta-read, so please be nice about any mistake I made! Comments and kudos are appreciated, however, if you have nothing nice to say about my work, please don't say anything.
> 
> Please do not repost my work on any other platform. If you happen to see my work anywhere else, it is not me so let me know! I'm not sure if I'm actually supposed to say this, but I don't own these characters.

“Stevie, you have to drive faster! Please!” You pleaded desperately, tears streaming down your reddened cheeks.

Steve gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on the steering wheel so his knuckles turned white. “I know you’re worried but I’m going as fast as I can without getting stopped by the cops.”

You pushed harder against Billy’s chest, pressing the back of his leather jacket against the wounds he sustained saving El from the Mind Flayer. Of course you were grateful for what he did, but you couldn’t help feeling bitter about how everything went down in Starcourt mall. Questions continued to plague your mind as you tried to stop crying. What if it had been you instead? What if the three of you had run to where the others were standing away from the threat? What if Max didn’t have a moment of weakness and the sauna burned the Flayer’s influence out of him?

You shook the thoughts out of your head and rested your forehead against his. You recoiled immediately. He was burning up and his breathing was barely noticeable. You removed one hand from the leather jacket while still applying pressure with the other and checked his pulse. It had dropped dramatically since you left the mall.

“Stevie, it’s not looking good.” You said in a quiet voice and clenched your eyes shut. You grabbed one of Billy’s hands and squeezed it in your own. “Please, Billy... Hang on.”

As soon as you got to the hospital, Max and El flagged down a paramedic to load Billy onto a stretcher. Thankfully, they acted quickly and he was brought into emergency surgery. Steve, Max, El, and yourself waited patiently in the waiting room for any news because any news was good news, right?

“It’ll be okay,” Steve wrapped an arm around you and kissed your cheek. You were glad he was there with you, even though both of your choices in the past year and a half had put a strain on your friendship. 

“I hope so...” You gave him a small smile, but it didn’t reach your eyes.

“He will be. He has to be.” Max piped up from her seat opposite of yours. She tried to be optimistic, but her appearance betrayed her cheery disposition. Her eyes were red from crying and her nose was raw from blowing her nose. El wasn’t much better. Even though Billy technically tried to kill her, she forgave him the moment he sacrificed himself to save her from the Mind Flayer. 

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear about how you and Billy got together.” El hesitantly requested. “It’ll pass the time quicker and I’ll understand better.”

“Understand what better?” You furrowed your eyebrows at her and wiped the tears that kept silently appearing.

“Billy. Max said he changed a lot. Not to mention, I’m grateful for what he did. I want to get to know him and...” El frowned slightly and played with her fingers. “Remember the good times. Before all of this.”

You nodded in understanding and opened your mouth to speak only for Steve to cut you off. He laughed loudly and had a shit-eating grin. “When Max and him first moved to Hawkins, he was an ass.”

“Steve!” You hit his shoulder but couldn’t help laughing yourself. Even if you didn’t want to admit it, he was right and you both knew it.

“What? You know I’m right!” He bumped your shoulder with his.

You scoffed. “You’re just as bad.” 

“Bullshit I am!” He said loudly, causing a passing nurse to shush him.

You rolled your eyes at him and shifted your focus to the two girls sitting across from you. “Well, as you know, Billy moved here at the start of our senior year...”

_It was the first day of your senior year and you had just arrived at the school. You expected the year to be as boring as the previous ones, but you were immediately proven wrong when a stunning blue Camaro pulled into the parking lot._

_You raised your eyebrows as your interest was piqued and you silently watched the driver exit the car. His black boots stomped on the ground as he stood up. He wore blue jeans and a white shirt beneath a jean jacket. He had a curly, blond mullet that was all the rage and a dangling earring adorned his left ear. A cigarette sat lazily between his lips. He scanned the parking lot briefly before strutting into the school._

_He was gorgeous, but you shook any other thoughts of him out of your mind to focus on your first day and you did just that. In fact, you hadn’t met him until the second week at school. After school one day, he leaned on the locker beside yours as you were packing your homework into your bag._

_“Hey there, sweetheart. I haven’t met you yet, now have I?” He gave you a smirk as his eyes scanned your body, lingering on your boobs and ass._

_You raised your eyebrows at him and crossed your arms. “No and if I had it my way, you wouldn’t be meeting me right now.”_

_“And why’s that?” He asked with a smirk still plastered on his face._

_“Because you’re an asshole with no respect for anyone.” You stated matter-of-factly with a bored expression on your face. “I know you’ve slept around with half the girls here already and if you think I’ll be the next then you’ve got another thing coming.”_

_“You don’t even know me yet, princess.” He said with another smirk. This one almost seemed more playful than the other two he flashed you._

_“Maybe not, but I do know your type.” You said as you closed your locker door. You turned to walk away but he grabbed your wrist and gently turned you around so you were facing him again. The softness of the action surprised you. Everything about him screamed rough and tough, but his grip was so gentle it was hard to tell which version was the real him._

_“Can I at least get your name?” He asked without a smirk on his face for a change. His eyes were soft, almost pleading, and betrayed the slight vulnerability he was beginning to feel. You were taken aback and gave in to him with a small smile._

_He nodded at you when you gave into his request and repeated your name quietly._

_“I’m Billy, Billy Hargrove.” He shot you a smile you were sure made all the girls he slept with melt. Sucks for him you weren’t going to fall for it, even if it was stunning. “Nice to meet you.”_

_“Is that all? I’m sure my ride’s waiting for me by now.”_

_“Why don’t you ride with me instead? Get to know me, the real me.” Billy asked. He had yet to release your wrist, but his grip never hardened._

_You shook your head. “I already told my friend I’d ride with him.”_

_“Come on. You know you want to ride with me.” The same cocky smirk as before appeared on his face as he stared you down._

_“And why would that be?” You raised your eyebrows once again._

_“I see you eyeing up my car every morning. I’m sure you want to feel her... experience her...” He said almost sensually. Billy stepped closer to you and brushed his other hand against your cheek._

_“As tempting as that sounds, I’m not backing out on my friend.” You gave him your final answer and watched his face fall into a small frown. It disappeared as soon as it came, and he hardened his face. You don’t know why, but you felt bad after briefly seeing him frown so you made him a promise you hoped you wouldn’t regret. “But... you can pick me up tomorrow morning.”_

_He nodded and released your wrist. “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”_

_“Don’t you need my address?” You asked as you walked out of the school beside him._

_“I already know it.” He smirked for the fourth time. You were counting._

_“That’s creepy.” You said bluntly, making him laugh._

“Hold up. How did he know where you lived?” El interrupted you.

Max gasped. “Was he stalking you?”

You laughed at the two girls. “He asked one of my old friends, Heather.”

“So, he was basically stalking you.” Steve said with an amused look on his face.

You rolled your eyes at him. “Shut up and let me continue.” 

_Two weeks had passed since you let Billy drive you to and from school instead of Steve. Steve was less than impressed to see you forming a friendship with his new rival and vocalized his opinion way more than he should have, putting a strain on your already fragile friendship. And, as time continued, you hung out more with Billy while Steve hung out with a bunch of kids. You found his new group odd, but it wasn’t your place to say anything. Not anymore._

_Halfway through the school year, Billy and you hung out somewhere you had never gone before: the lakeside. It was calm and a nice change of pace from all the studying you’ve been doing. To your surprise, Billy even packed a small lunch full of snacks for you both and spread out a blanket a few feet from the shoreline._

_“Billy, this is too much!” You said as you helped him smooth out the blanket he packed._

_He shook his head. “No, it’s not. You need a break from, well, everything and this will help you relax.”_

_“Fine, you’re right.” You put your hands up in mock surrender._

_“Sorry, can you say that again? I didn’t quite hear you.” He smirked at you, knowing you hated admitting when he was right which, in hindsight, didn’t happen often._

_“You’re such an ass.” You laughed._

_“I’m sorry, I’m not hearing you say it.” He poked your side, still with a smirk on his face. You recoiled immediately at his touch._

_“Don’t you dare.” You said slowly as you noticed the mischievous look in his eyes that could only mean one thing. If you didn’t admit he was right, which you had no intention of doing, he would tickle the living shit out of you._

_“Don’t what?” He feigned ignorance, raising his eyebrows as he smiled innocently._

_You narrowed your eyes at him. “You know what.”_

_Billy didn’t give you any time to react as he tackled you to the ground and caged you between his arms and legs. He sat on your waist, careful not to put his full weight on you, and assaulted you with his hands. The result was immediate. You kept laughing and tears began forming in your eyes as you struggled to breathe._

_“Alright! I yield!” You said in between laughs and gasps. Billy stopped momentarily and looked at you expectantly. “You’re right.”_

_Billy sat beside you and helped you into a sitting position. He wrapped an arm around you and held you close as he scanned your face with a small, genuine smile on his. You reciprocated it and put a hand gently on his cheek._

_You had been feeling differently about Billy for a while now, but you hadn’t had the time to think about it much. Now, away from your study notes, you recognized what you were feeling. You searched his eyes for any sign he felt the same and saw a particular warmth in them he only ever looked at you with._

_As if reading your mind Billy whispered, “I like you. I really, genuinely like you. You’re not like the other girls and I don’t want to hurt you.”_

_“Promise?” You said in a quiet voice._

_“Promise what?” He asked, confused as he clearly just poured his heart out to you._

_“You like me and you don’t just want me for sex?” Your subconscious worries rose from when you had first become friends with him. What if he was just befriending you for sex? What if it was a dare to befriend you? Did he really care for you as much as he seemed to? Did he know what it meant to have feelings for someone?_

_“Absolutely. You’ve spent the time to get to know me for who I am, not who I appear to be. You’ve never judged me even if you’ve disagreed with my choices. You’re more than I ever could’ve hoped to find as far as friendships and relationships go. I like you.” He poured his heart out to you without holding back. He looked vulnerable and scared of your reaction._

_“I like you, too, Billy.” You admitted shyly, breaking eye contact with him._

_He gently lifted you chin up and brought his face closer to yours. “Can I kiss you?”_

_You silently nodded and melted into the kiss. It was soft and gentle, a far cry from how you had seen him kiss other girls in the hallways when he first arrived in Hawkins. Now that you thought about it, he stopped pursuing girls when you two became good friends. Had he liked you for that long?_

“That’s sweet,” Max gave you a small smile. Her eyes were no longer red and her nose was a pale pink instead of appearing raw. 

You smiled softly at her. “He was that night and he continues to show me how sweet he really is.”

“Uh, quick question.” Steve spoke up. “Was he sweet when he beat me to a fucking pulp at the end of our senior year?”

“Steve!” El gasped. You knew she meant for this to be relaxing and a time to share good memories of Billy, despite his bad qualities and questionable choices.

“It’s okay, El.” You looked Steve in the eye. “What he did wasn’t okay, and we nearly broke up over it, but I do think that night was rough for everyone. For you and the gang with what you were dealing with, and for him with his dad. He got in trouble because Max snuck out and he hit his breaking point. We’ve spoken about this and he admitted that you were his dad at that moment. I’m not excusing his behaviour, but I do think he is a better person than everyone thinks. Deep down.”

_Billy arrived at your house that night earlier than anticipated. His knocks were angry, and he appeared livid when you answered your door, but still addressed you gently. You followed him to his Camaro and sat in the passenger seat._

_“What’s wrong?” You quickly asked as Billy began to drive._

_“Max is missing and my dad was pissed. We need to find her.” His grip on the steering wheel increased as he explained everything to you._

_“Did he hit you?” You gently pried. Having comforted Billy after he was abused before, you knew letting him vent made him feel better and helped his anger disappear. It took a while to get to this point, but it was worth it to see him calmer and happier._

_“Yeah. Once this time.” He shook his head and ignored the tear that fell from his eye. You gently wiped it away and let him continue to talk. “Sorry our date is ruined.”_

_“It’s fine. There’s always next weekend.” You reassured him with a small smile. He nodded in acknowledgement and continued driving._

_Billy checked several houses the gang of kids were known to hang out at before arriving at the right one. You both exited the car to be greeted with Steve. You inhaled sharply. Billy wrapped an arm around you as he smoked his cigarette as if he sensed your anxiety. You hadn’t spoken with Steve since you started dating Billy._

_“Stevie...” You whispered._

_Billy took a drag from his cigarette and narrowed his eyes at Steve. “Am I dreaming or is that you Harrington?”_

_“Yeah it’s me, don’t cream your pants.” Steve rolled his eyes._

_You ignored them both as they went back and forth. Instead, you focused on the house and noticed three figures in the window. You recognized Max immediately with her red hair and your younger brother, Dustin, but you couldn’t tell who the third was. Even though your brother had the same group of friends for a while now, you didn’t see them enough to be able to distinguish them all from a distance, especially in the dark._

_Billy removed his arm from around you before you had a chance to tell him Max was in there. He moved over to Steve and pushed him over. He kicked him in the ribs, making you wince and grabbed your hand gently before pulling you inside. You looked back at Steve with regret but focused on Billy. You had to try to keep his temper under control._

_But once Billy saw Max with the group of kids, he immediately flew off the handle and slammed a boy you recognized as Lucas against a wall. You pulled Billy off only to be pushed aside by Steve. He threw a punch at him, but Steve dodged and hit him. They fought despite your pleas to the point where Steve was battered and bloody._

_“Make it stop! Don’t let Billy kill him!” Dustin screamed at you, making you jump into action._

_You pulled Billy off Steve, but Max drugged him before you had a chance to say anything. He fell to the floor after pulling out the syringe, barely conscious. Max threatened him and almost hit him with a bat encased with nails. She moved to take his car keys, but you stopped her._

_“I’ll get him out of here.” You said gently to Max and Dustin who had been staring at you._

_Max nodded and left, but Dustin stayed and stepped closer to you. “We need to have a talk about your boyfriend. First, he almost ran me and my friends over and now this! It’s ridiculous!”_

_“We’ll talk later, Dustin. It’s complicated.” You shrugged and smiled weakly at him. He only shook his head and joined the rest of the kids outside._

_Billy was still on the floor once they were all gone, so you helped him up and walked him to the passenger seat of the Camaro. You drove both of you to your house where you laid him on top of your bed. Hours later, when he finally came to, you and him had a talk._

_“Why did you attack Steve and Lucas?” You gently asked. You weren’t mad at Billy per se, but you were disappointed in him and he knew that. You always found disappointing the ones you love was worse than angering them._

_“My dad... He just, when we fought, I- I was so angry and full of hate.” Billy rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “Then Steve, he was lying to me and getting on my nerves. I snapped. And when we were fighting, it wasn’t him anymore. It was my dad. I would’ve- I would’ve killed him had Max not stopped me.”_

_You hugged Billy and let him cry into your shoulder. You knew he didn’t want to be like his dad, but after all the years of abuse he had a bad temper just like him. With your help, he had made progress, but it wasn’t enough yet. You hoped, one day, he’d show everyone the kind and gentle Billy you were lucky enough to have daily. Otherwise, you don’t know what you’d do._

“Why’d you stay with him after that? Dustin can’t have been happy.” Steve asked curiously.

“Because I love him. Every day we work through his anger issues, family problems, and the way he handles things. He is getting better; you just don’t see it yet.” You finished with a shrug.

“What did Dustin think, exactly? It couldn’t have been easy.” Max pointed out. You responded with a sigh before telling them what happened.

_When Dustin came home, he stormed up to your room and entered without knocking. To say he was upset would have been an understatement. He was livid, even more so once he noticed Billy was asleep in your bed with you reading beside him. You gently got up and led Dustin into the hallway where you could talk._

_“What the fuck?!” Dustin crossed his arms angrily._

_“Language.” You narrowed your eyes at him briefly before frowning. “He’s my boyfriend, Dust.”_

_“Yeah? No shit.” He practically spat at you. “Why are you still with him after everything he’s done? He’s an asshole and almost killed Steve. You know, your oldest friend!”_

_“Please, quiet down. Billy doesn’t need to wake up right now.” You said quietly and put a hand on Dustin’s shoulder to try to calm him down. He shrugged it off immediately and pointed at the door._

_“He should wake up! He needs to answer for this.” He scowled at you and recrossed his arms with a huff._

_“Look. I know his behaviour is inappropriate and I’m not condoning it. But you need to understand that we are working through his issues.” Dustin scoffed and you narrowed your eyes at him. “All of them.”_

_“Bullshit! How can he be working through his issues when he’s just as bad as when he arrived in Hawkins?” Dustin pointed out angrily. You knew he was really pissed by the way his cheeks were red and puffed out slightly._

_“He’s trying.” You said through grit teeth. You were trying not to get mad because it did look bad and Dustin didn’t know Billy like you did. You went to explain, but the sound of your bedroom door opening stopped you._

_Billy stepped out beside you and leaned against the wall. His hair was matted and his eyes showed how tired he was. The drug was wearing off, but it clearly still had a bit of an effect on him. “Look, Dustin... I get it doesn’t look like I’m trying, but I am. Your sister helps me be better and helps me do better. I’ve been making progress, I swear. Tonight was just a really rough night for me and I flew off the handle back there. It won’t happen again.”_

_“Promise?” Dustin asked begrudgingly with a frown on his face._

_“Promise.” He wrapped an arm gently around your waist. “So, is it okay if I date your sister?”_

_“As long as you continue making progress.” Dustin pointed at him and spoke with a hard tone. “But as soon as you hurt her or act like an asshole again, deal’s off... and I’ll kill you.”_

_“Dustin!” You scolded him but smiled slightly when Billy genuinely laughed._

_“It’s a deal, kid.” Billy shook his hand and watched as he walked to his room. He turned to you and grinned. “He has the same angry look you do.”_

_“He does not.” You scoffed and crossed your arms. Regardless, you let him lead you into your bedroom to go back to sleep._

Steve looked like he was going to comment, but a doctor approached the four of you before he had a chance. “Are you four here for a Billy Hargrove?”

“Yes, we are.” You said and held your breath. Your mouth went dry and your palms became clammy. Steve noticed you were anxious and grabbed your hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze you were immensely grateful for.

“Alright. Well, the surgery went exceptional, but it will be quite a long road to recovery. We had to perform several blood transfusions and suture all his wounds while repairing the internal damage. As such, he will not be able to partake in any sports and has to take it easy in a low stress environment.” The doctor scanned everyone and checked his clipboard for any other notes. He flashed the group a small smile and put his clipboard under his arm. “Now, you may all visit him together so long as you let him rest and keep the visit stress free. Questions?”

“Will he make a full recovery?” You asked tentatively.

“Yes, he will. Mr. Hargrove is an incredibly lucky man.” The doctor moved to leave but turned around with a curious look on his face. “What exactly happened to him?”

“I don’t know.” You lied carefully with a shrug. “My friends here were dropping me off to meet him near the Starcourt mall for a date and we just found him on the ground next to his car.”

The doctor hummed as if he didn’t believe you but didn’t question you further. He led you all to Billy’s room before making his way to his other patients. The four of you exchanged hesitant glances, but entered the room nonetheless.

You were relieved and terrified simultaneously. Billy looked fragile. He was hooked up to the heart monitor, IV, and had a breathing tube underneath his nose. His face was cut in several places and he had one gash close to his right eyebrow that was treated with a butterfly stitch. His breathing was still shallow, but better than it had been in the back of Steve’s car.

Steve’s hand rested gently on your shoulder. He looked at you worried. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” You said, wiping a single tear that fell from your eye. You breathed a sigh of relief. “He’s okay. He’s alive.”

You sat down on a chair you pulled to the right side of Billy’s bed and grabbed his hand. You subconsciously rubbed circles on his palm as you watched the rise and fall of his chest. Max followed suit and pulled a chair to the left side of his bed, but she didn’t grab his hand. She just watched him.

El and Steve stayed for a while, but eventually went to the food court. They checked back periodically only to be disappointed when Billy wasn’t awake yet. Max and you mutually decided to wait in silence. 

_“She was pretty.” El cried, staring up at Billy who had started crying but had a small, genuine smile on his face. “You were happy.”_

_El placed a hand on Billy’s face and he opened his eyes. He sat up and you ran up to him. You immediately went on your knees and hugged him. He tightly hugged you back as El crawled back, away from Billy. He kissed you gently and whispered in your ear. “I’m sorry.”_

_“For what?” You whispered, watching as he stood up and faced the Mind Flayer. It appeared to be readying an attack on El and you knew what he was going to do. You screamed at him. “Billy, don’t!”_

_You ran behind him, but it was too late. The Mind Flayer reached out and attacked him. Arm after arm it assaulted Billy and pierced the flesh on his battered torso. Everyone, including yourself, could only watch it happen. The Mind Flayer struck him over his heart and dropped him on the ground._

_You and Max ran to him and fell to your knees. You took off his leather jacket you’d been wearing instead of your own ever since he changed due to the Mind Flayer’s possession and pressed it to his wounds._

_Billy looked up at you and Max. He spit up blood and breathed heavily. “Sorry...”_

_His eyes closed, but you didn’t stop trying to save him. You quickly instructed Max to continue applying pressure over his wounds with the jacket as you checked both his pulse and breathing._

_“He’s got a weak pulse and he’s breathing, but only barely!” You informed everyone in the group quickly. Steve ran over to you and helped Max press the jacket to Billy’s torso._

_You mouthed thank you to him before running to grab a nearby first aid kit. You returned as fast as you left and began unwrapping gauze and cotton pads. “Sit him up but keep applying pressure. I’ll move your hands as needed.”_

_Steve nodded and rested Billy’s back against his shoulder, continuing to press the jacket against him. You quickly pressed cotton pads against some of the less severe wounds and adhered them to him by wrapping gauze around his torso. Once all his wounds were covered, you and Steve carried him to Steve’s car where you laid him across the back seat. You joined him in the back and rested his head on your lap as you kept pressure on his wounds._

_Max hopped in the passenger seat and Steve drove to the hospital. Jonathan and Nancy were following behind to drop El off, but they said they wouldn’t stay for the rest._

You must have fallen asleep at some point because you opened your eyes to a hushed conversation between Max and Billy you couldn’t quite make out. They stopped once you raised your head. Your eyes immediately found Billy’s and you started crying happy tears. He slowly moved his left hand to caress your cheek and gently wiped some of your tears.

“Don’t cry, I’m here.” He said in a quiet, hoarse voice. He flashed you a small smile, but you could tell he was in pain by the way it faltered ever so slightly. You chose to ignore it for now and relish in the fact he was awake.

“I was so worried.” You shook your head and cried. 

He gently hugged you from his position on the bed. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”

“Please don’t leave me ever again.” You whimpered.

A tear escaped his eye and he nodded at you. “Promise.”


End file.
